Partly because talking about the death penalty to a zealot wears my soul. But mostly because I understand the difference between innocence and the legal standard of beyond a reasonable doubt and how the recantations fit into the equation. But just like Jim, I am not an expert on these things.

So instead of the polemicists today, you should go listen to the lawyer.

I don't pay too much attention to BlogNetNews Georgia. I'm no tear down the walls zealot as are some of my friends, but I do find some of their methods distasteful so generally I ignore them all together.

But occasionally I do glance at their "Highest Rated" rating. Maybe out of hubris, maybe because my curiousity into how things work cause me to attempt to figure out their heuristics.

At the top is a blog I have previously never seen and it is rated as a perfect 10.00 by users. Not that surprising considering I doubt many people bother with the rating system and it would be perfectly reasonable for a new voice to use this innocuous platitude metric to garner a little notice.

But imagine my surprise when I saw every other Georgia blog rated as a 1.00. Every single one except this new blog.

It really means nothing in the greater context. The silly indexes of a would be credibility peddler mean little. For we are a community - a community where those of absolute opposites cohabitat (although at times uneasily) because even when we differ we always respect.

Any community ultimately stands on respect.

And we always remember how someone introduces themselves to our community.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Stop the madness. Stop the panic. I've seen a herd of cows in a frothing mess. Not a pretty sight.

If you've filled up, do not go back to the gas station for one week. If you approach empty before that time, you either are driving an M-1 Abrams or are running too many freaking errands.

Shortly, I will take my quarter tank of gas and go out into the swirl of chaos in search of go-juice and the essence of the human soul.

In the meantime, feel free to feel the panic by checking #atlgas on twitter. It's shooting up the chart with a bullet.

UPDATE: I've stared the beast in the eye.

I cruised up and down around the spaghetti junction area to all my familiar stations - No gas. I then began to roam towards Tucker. The QT at Chamblee-Tucker/Pleasantdale - No gas. One lonely little four pumper Marathon at the intersection had gas but I chose to forego the already formed line stretching onto the four lane. It seemed an accident waiting to happen.

I held little hope the Shell at the corner of Lawrenceville Hwy and Main St. in Tucker would contain fuel and shortly my doubts were confirmed. As I turned onto Lawrenceville Hwy towards Decatur, I made a crucial decision. Estimating I had about 50 miles of gas left in the tank, if I did not discover fuel by I-285, I would head south towards Forsyth until an oasis could be found.

Then, in the shimmering haze of the mid-afternoon heat, it appeared - the Citgo on Lawrenceville Hwy near Brockett Rd not only had gas but empty pumps. It was like spotting a Triceratops strutting down Peachtree.

It happened as soon as I pulled up to an empty pump. Like sharks whiffing blood from an ocean away, every car who saw my turn signal began darting into the station hoping to claim any morsel available. By the time I finished pumping, every pump had cars lined up and the queue stretched out onto the highway.

It was a feeding frenzy. It was madness.

I left with a full tank and the knowledge that my machine, unlike many of the more feral autos, could survive for days without additional sustenance.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Bill Clinton demonstrates why he succeeded in politics. He understands voters. His explanation of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s popularity — her family, including the children, a husband who stayed in the 2,000-mile Iron Dog snowmobile race, going 500 miles with a broken arm. “Why say, ever, anything bad about a person? Why don’t we … just say that she was a good choice for him and we disagree with them?”

Even people who like Bill Clinton are getting tired of Bill Clinton. But isn't it funny how the people who blame every problem of the last 8 years on the big dog (could've caught Bin Laden, caused the recession, now caused the mortgage crisis, etc.) suddenly embrace his candor and honesty?

Why not to fly with famous people — or even the niche famous. You become the fine print. Two pilots and two passengers died in a South Carolina plane crash. Headline: “Performers hurt in fatal jet crash.” The celebrities were the former drummer for Blink-182 and a disc jockey.

Copy editor Jim returns! Jim, do you ever worry the the headline writers will one day just wander over and beat the hell out of you?

You know I make a lot of fun of Copy Editor Jim but I do not want to gloss over a more serious point. Jim's continued insistence on criticizing his own coworkers efforts is actually a carefully thought out strategy the right has used for years - you can't trust the press because they are obsessed with celebrity to the detriment of the common man. So, in a time where his own coworkers are being shown the door, Wooten fancies himself some half-ass ombudsmen here to save us all from the elitist copy editor probably making about 30K a year. And that's really not very funny at all.

Requiring specially-refined designer gas for the 45 counties in Metro Atlanta, even when pumps are running dry is not a government that serves us. It’s one that toys with us, intentionally inflicting pain on motorists. The federal Environmental Protection Agency yielded to pleas for relief from Gov. Sonny Perdue, but it should be automatic whenever a hurricane is headed toward refineries.

The irony meter just broke.

Designer gas? Where do I buy this special gas that turns my midsize into a blinged out sex machine? Actually, our fancy gas is "designed" to contain detergents so that during the summer months the layers of smog caused by the bajillion cars on our ever expanding road net do not smother us all.

As far as Governor Perdue's pleas, why didn't he make the request before last week? Surely he could also see the impending crisis as Ike loomed off the coast of Texas. Or is outrage over a Governor's dawdling with requests for Federal assistance while disaster lurks limited to Democrats who run Louisiana?

Think health insurance is unaffordable now? Wait until businesses are required to provide the same level of coverage for mental health as they do for physical. That was part of a massive tax bill the Senate passed 93-2 this week.

93-2. Hmmmmm. Methinks there might have been a few Republicans in that bunch.

John McCain afraid to debate Barack Obama? You’re kidding, right? Remember Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church forum and Obama’s declaration that questions about when a living being acquires human rights are above his pay grade? Obama off TelePrompTer is an uh and ah, off-message journey into trouble.

It seems some forget Obama "uhhhed" and "ahhhed" his way through multiple debates in the primaries. But no, let's focus on one muddled answer given in a evangelical mega-church. Or we could just return to discussing the high flying oratory of one Sarah Palin.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Barack Obama, faced with the opportunity to reveal himself as presidential-in-crisis, flunked. He’s a stand-around kind of guy. Oh, if they need him, he’ll be there where the administration and Congress are attempting to save the nation from possible financial meltdown. But the campaign is more important and, besides, a President has to demonstrate that he can do two things at once — presumably campaign and save the nation by phone. He is, after all, talking daily with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others.

I'm going to cheat a bit this morning, dears, since The Atlantic's Clive Cook says it better than I.

I do think Obama is handling the crisis much better than McCain--not because he is suggesting better remedies (he continues to say little), but because his instinct to reflect before opening his mouth and his impeccable taste in advisers are both working to his advantage.

The "others" Jim fails to name are the same advisers to whom Cook refers and include two former Treasury Secretaries and a former chair of the Federal Reserve.

You tell me which shows leadership - quick action based on what you believe is correct and standing by it, consequences be damned or surrounding yourself with really smart people and after hearing all they have to say, making the final call.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Congratulations to the ladies of Pecanne Log on being chosen critic's choice for Best Local Blog!

I wonder what the devil's price was this year? Wait. Did I post that out loud?

Just joking! Pecanne Log is clever with just a hint of the twisted which is why it's a regular read of mine and can be found over to the right in the Georgia Voices section. Check it out. Bookmark it. LOVE IT.

Unlike Left on Lanier, I have yet to hear any cries of "liberal bias" over the coverage of the public Democratic Rally in Gainesville last Saturday while ignoring some private Republican fundraiser, but it wouldn't surprise me.

Let me explain a few things to our more soft headed friends.

I'm betting most media outlets have a policy against covering private fundraising events. I certainly do. Why? Because they usually require a donation and giving any money creates the impression of support. Also, because usually there ain't a lot of news. Unless a candidate gets drunk and does a strip tease on the bar, all the news from a fundraiser can easily be found in one of the myriad press releases we all receive.

Putting aside the differing nature of the two events, one other truth the whiners of liberal bias oppression routinely ignore is the "man bites dog" rule. Now, you, my gentle readers, tell me which is human gnawing canine and which is not - Democrats stage a rally in Republican stronghold of Hall County or Republicans hold a private event in Republican stronghold of Hall County.

As Left on Lanier points out, all this is easily corrected. Invite some people. I'm non-partisan and have asked repeatedly to be invited to some of the secretive elephant meetings but am routinely ignored. The Republicans in this state are so secretive, I've compared them to the pledge scene in Animal House complete with candles, paddles and thank you sir may I have another. The Democrats on the other hand invite me to everything - even when they know it will be a goat rodeo and I may not present them in the most kind fashion, bless their hearts.

There. Now that some of the soft heads know how things work maybe we can avoid some of these misunderstandings in the future.

However, since that would eliminate a favorite Republican whine. Maybe not.

The record did not come easy. Leonard fought the fish for an hour, shot it twice, then drove around with the creature for hours before weighing it. When he did, the Nashville resident discovered he’s the new Georgia title holder for catching a Lepisosteus osseus.

If this seems excessively violent, you've never met a gar. These fish are like relics from the Jurassic era.

The President’s three-page proposal will be fleshed out during a presidential election cycle by by Democrats who control Congress. The elements could not be worse. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, delighted to be talking about something other than “Drill Here, Drill Now,” has a beach-ball issue tossed her way. The President’s proposal, she said, “does not include the necessary safeguards. Democrats believe a responsible solution should include independent oversight [of the bailout program], protections for homeowners and constraints on excessive executive compensation.”

Much to the chagrin of many fiscal conservatives, Bush, his Secretary of the Treasury and his appointment to the Federal Reserve propose a bajillion dollar bailout of private companies but in Jim's world it's really Nancy Pelosi's fault? Well, at least it's not Clinton's fault. I suppose that's progress.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

We are told that in this internet world where the abililty to tell a story is as simple as clicking a hyperlink, the traditional media is a refuge of credibility. We are assured the layers of "editorial processes" is a vanguard against myth and rumor. We are told that those who use their actual names as opposed to pen names are more trustworthy. We are told many things.

Yesterday, Atlanta Journal Constitution Assistant Editorial Page Editor Jim Wooten published a story regarding the hacking of Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin's email indicating that "sleazy political operatives are so unnerved by the prospect that Palin lit a fire under Republicans and is drawing more women and Independents to McCain that they’re willing to break the law". No evidence is given. No elucidation follows. These political operatives are never identified.

In fact, it was already known the apparent hacker boasted his deeds on an internet community known less for its politcal persuasion and more for its ability to cause chaos. This small morsel of information was ignored in order to feast on a meal of polemical vapors.

Confronted by the absence of fact in the piece, the AJC's response is no one knows the politics of the perpetrators therefore there is no factual error.

This is credibility.

In July of this year, Atlanta blogger Andre Walker reported the Democratic Party of Georgia had pressured the Georgia Association of Educators to withdraw its support of Senate candidate Rand Knight. The story was based on anonymous sources with no corroboration and quickly fell apart - forcing Walker to issue a retraction and an apology.

That same month, it was discovered Walker failed to disclose money received from a political candidate who he portrayed positively on his blog. Once again, although this time after much pressure from the Atlanta blogging community, he was forced to admit he should have acted differently.

Yesterday, Walker was quoted in an Albany Herald article alledging unrest within the Democratic Party of Georgia over the replacement of a Dougherty County School Board candidate. He indicated members of the Executive Committee were unaware of the actions of the party in the matter and presented as evidence the now familiar claims of anonymous emails and phone calls.

This is credibility.

We listen to those inhabiting the towers of higher learning warn of falsehoods and fraud. We are told about guardians of democracy. At times, these guardians whisper totemic phrases to mark that which they deem credible.

We are getting into fanboy territory here. Jim is approaching the cliff of sacrificing his last vestige of journalistic integrity to simultaneously support Sarah Palin and castigate those he believes are intent on burning her at the stake.

With Palin, they’re grasping for the stuff — the material, the appeal, the line of attack — to bring her down. Dig in. The dirt-diggers are out in full force. Hackers broke into the Yahoo! e-mail account used for official business and distributed on the Internet personal messages — nothing consequential,but personal — that they stole from it.

The implication - put forth with no actual evidence - that Palin's political opponents are somehow involved in this criminal act is so outrageous even a few of Wooten's normally foaming at the mouth commentors "partially disagree" with their ersatz oracle.

Polemecists are masters of pushing the rhetorical limit - at times touching the hyperbolic envelope - but they must maintain at least one toe on the ground of reality. Especially if you have the title Editor by your name.

On Tuesday night, someone from the /b/ board ("/b/tards," as they are colloquially known) broke into Sarah Palin's Yahoo! e-mail account. They read the e-mails and posted the address and password on the board.

Fellow /b/tards proceeded to wreak general havoc with the account. The /b/tard in question used Yahoo!'s password recovery feature, and then proceeded to fill in the answers using Wikipedia. A message posted to the forum explains the process thusly:

"After the password recovery was reenabled, it took seriously 45 mins on wikipedia and google to find the info, Birthday? 15 seconds on wikipedia, zip code? well she had always been from wasilla, and it only has 2 zip codes (thanks online postal service!)

"The second was somewhat harder, the question was "where did you meet your spouse?" did some research, and apparently she had eloped with mister palin after college, if youll look on some of the screenshits [sic] that I took and other fellow anon have so graciously put on photobucket you will see the google search for "palin eloped" or some such in one of the tabs.

"I found out later though more research that they met at high school, so I did variations of that, high, high school, eventually hit on "Wasilla high" I promptly changed the password to popcorn and took a cold shower...

Better hurry with that apology, Jim. Not to the Democrats. No, bless them, their soft hearts will give you a few breaths to come up with an appropriate expression of regret. Hackers on the other hand, much like pitbulls (sans lipstick or otherwise), are known for rapid, righteous indignation when their work is not recognized.

UPDATE II: I rarely comment on commentors but here it seems relevant. I waded through the 200+ comments on Jim's piece today and can you guess how many times I saw some version of "Democrats hacked Sarah Palin's email!" Congratulations, Jim. You've given birth to a meme.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

THE VILLAGES — GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's campaign event set for Sunday on Lake Sumter Landing Market Square in The Villages has been canceled by her campaign officials due to weather concerns.

As St. Pete Times writer Adam Smith points out the only weather concerns in central Florida right now is severe thunderstorms - a phenomena so regular in those parts this time of year you can your watch to them.

The Villages is a massive planned community between Ocala and Wildwood. Populated with older workers, retirees and former miliary, it is conservative to the core and a visit from a rising Republican politician is practically a rite of passage.

One could go insane following the more tedious bits of strangeness in the campaign season, but given the calculated gamble of Palin avoiding traditional media rollouts, the motes of weird suddenly seem more relevant.

Former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan, now a commentator, offers free but sound advice to the Obama campaign: Aim for the old guy. Palin’s trouble...They can do the gotchas. They can make sport of her observation about the proximity of Alaska and Russia, as Saturday Night Live amusingly did. They can dig for dirt. But they’d be smarter to take Noonan’s advice and ignore her.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

The good ladies at Pecanne Log expose the latest abomination to be displayed on our the backs of our cars - neutering kitties. What's next? Vasectomy plates?

It's very simple. License plates have one purpose, one purpose only - identification. They should not be moving billboards for the flavor of the month. Until someone can prove to me these things are somehow revenue positive, my hatred will remain.

Friday, September 12, 2008

It might be a strange day, friends and neighbors - Jim and I agree on some things.

But not right off the bat.

Billionaire Henry Samueli apologized for lying to the Securities and Exchange Commission investigators in advance of sentencing, which has been postponed. Ever hear anybody who’s not been caught apologize for lying or some other offense?

No, but at least he didn't resort to some lame passive voice mealy mouthism like "mistakes were made".

Secretary of State Karen Handel strikes a blow for transparency, too, launching her “Transparency in Government” initiative. A Web site will include her budget, monthly spending reports, her personal and campaign financial disclosure and ethics policy. “Responsible fiscal management begins with a commitment to transparency and accountability.” Republicans who run Georgia should own this issue. It’s what Georgians want. Transparency, performance standards and accountability.

In other news Georgians want ice cream on Sunday. For reasons known only in the deep recesses of the Wooten brain, Republicans exclusively know how to combine milk, ice and rock salt. Democrats would rather people just eat dirt.

The state should not take over any local school system, nor any airport, nor any city’s sewer system or anything else that fails at the local level. It has no particular expertise running schools or other local services.

I'm intentionally cutting off the portion about vouchers because it just clouds the issue. Jim is correct here. As noted here last year, the city of Johns Creek had to have legislative approval to open a parks department. In our supposed laissez-faire state, we have far too much top down governance and that needs fixin'. Unfortunately the fixin' would require reworking the Constitution and if we let the scoundrels loose in there who knows what additional stink bombs we will find years later.

No unkindness today for Barack Obama or Joe Biden. They’re still reeling from the old guy’s boldness in picking Gov. Sarah Palin and, in the process, seizing the “change” momentum. It’s hard to think of a guy who’s never bucked the Democratic establishment (Obama) and a 36-year Washington insider (Biden) as agents of change. Easier to imagine that from two party mavericks.

No unkindness until the next sentence.

Oh, my. It can’t be long before those who believe high gas prices are good (take the bus; don’t build more road capacity) jump on a report from the Transportation Research Institute at the University of Michigan...

Seriously, Jim. Is there someone at the DOT who has a picture of you playing golf with the devil?

Universities can be very selective in determining which values they seek to impose on students. At the University of Miami, it’s use of public transportation, ride-sharing and biking —- their intent in banning cars for freshmen. Wonder if they’d require, say, the pledge of allegiance at the first-of-day classes. Nah. Too jingoistic

Speaking of pictures with the devil. So a private institution makes a decision to improve its environment and a "conservative" not only wants to interfere but somehow implies it is not patriotic? For those playing Wooten bingo, N-32!

Landing Ron Paul as a running mate would be a coup for Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr. That alignment could be trouble in some close states, since both pull from John McCain. Their pull could, of course, be offset by Cynthia McKinney’s pull with the left. She’s the Green Party nominee.

Jim, do you end Fridays with items like this just to give me an early weekend giggle? Seriously, I don't know who should be more offended - Democrats or Libertarians. Actually I do know, libertarians have their highest profile candidate in forever and a certain person thinks they'll be offset by a kook who was essentially run out of office on a rail. Too funny.

Monday, September 08, 2008

Obama continues to be bedeviled by questions about his religion, something I picked up repeatedly from people who aren’t political junkies. It’s not surprising that Obama lashed out on that issue Sunday. He can’t shake the believe that he is a Muslim, the religion of his father and religion of at least part of his childhood...Obama badly needs to do something to shake that perception. A major speech, addressing it head-on, is warranted.

Does anyone have a count of the number of times Obama has clearly stated he has no relationship with the Muslim faith?

You know why this story doesn't go away? Because certain people use the rapidly thinning veil of "journalism" to keep raising questions already answered. Since the non-political see these members of the journalist class as somehow being "in the know", the mere whisper of rumor grows wings of truth.

A writer tells a good story. A journalist is a writer who tells a good story based on facts. At times, I wonder if Jim remembers the difference.

Sunday, September 07, 2008

For reasons too strange to explain, I have not watched cable television in over a week. So, watching the Georgia Gang from last sunday is a bit like opening a time capsule. In this post-Obama / pre-Palin sliver of time the guys and gals focus on Barack Obama and the just concluded Democratic convention.

Of all the inanities spewed forth by the wonder twins of Dick Williams and Phil Kent, accusing Obama of using the race card in his speech (he didn't), accusing Obama of not noting the 45th anniversary of Dr. King's famous speech (he did), nothing could top Williams making fun of the way President Jimmy Carter pronounces nuclear.

Seriously?

This from a man who worships at the golden visage of a President who is absolutely Homerian (as in Simpson, not the Greek poet) in his mangling of the English language?

Time to move the time machine forward to the present. It's all too strange, bubba.

The only emotion I felt last night as John McCain finally accepted the Republican's nomination was incredible sadness. Sadness since I think even he realized this was his one shining moment - a political apex. Sadness for what could have been in 2000. Sadness that there are those within his own party who it seems are still uncertain of what to make of this genuinely good man.

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

4 sitting Vice Presidents have on their own been elected to office. That's less than 10 percent.

9 sitting Vice Presidents have been thrust into office because of death or resignation of the current President. That's over 20 percent.

Yet, for some reason, we obsess about potential running mates as inheritors of the office 8 years later instead of more immediately.

This is what we should be talking about instead of all this other mess. We are told that McCain would make a better executive yet we are told to not consider his first swipe at the decision making process every executive of every business in the world has to consider - the ability of a potential successor. Really.

I'll be on Wilson's show in the morning. Wonder what we are going to talk about.

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

So much wind. Hanna is headed our way and I need to go check on the southern outpost. Besides, the convention has given Wooten an excuse to write every day and I just can't take it. Time to flee the madness once again.

O sages standing in God's holy fireAs in the gold mosaic of a wall,Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre

An aide walked into the room and quietly relayed the news of the morning: The 17-year-old daughter of Gov. Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd, is five months’ pregnant. She is not married but, as Governor Palin announced later, is planning to wed the baby’s father.

I may have missed this but once upon a time being a husband meant you were actually married.

Once upon a time there were people who lived on the fine point of distinctions. They claimed to be the arbiters of truth. They judged without mercy. They spared no swath of the sword for those who birthed babies out of wedlock. They railed against a society which allowed such sin.

They claimed there is no in between.

They also claimed a ticket to the middle of Minnesota. They travelled to that exotic place to preach against the wicked - those on the other side of the fall. But when one of their own drew just a bit short - they prayed we should ignore the frailties. We're all human - after all.